


Whose Wish?

by JoMouse



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 01:24:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7246573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall hires Liam to cater his flatmate Zayn's surprise birthday party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whose Wish?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunnysideup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnysideup/gifts).



> This was from a set of ["First Sentence Prompts"](http://josjournal.tumblr.com/post/146131648737/first-sentence-writing-prompts) posted on tumblr. This one was requested by [Toni](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnysideup/pseuds/sunnysideup) and I just hope that I did it justice. :D
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

“Careful, don’t drop –” Liam sighed as he watched the other end of the tray slip out of Louis’ hands, sending the cake they’d been carrying between them falling to the floor. “Seriously?!”

Louis threw his hands up in the air and stepped backwards. “I’m sorry, mate. It slipped!” 

“Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!” Liam yelled and started tugging at his hair.

“Stop! You’ll mess-” Louis started, cutting off when Liam glared at him. “Yeah, I think, I’ll leave.” Louis darted out the door of the flat before Liam could even chase after him.

Liam looked between the door and the mess that now covered the kitchen floor of a flat he’d never been in before this day. He groaned out loud before dropping to his knees to begin cleaning up the mess and wracking his brain to come up with an alternate dessert to the one that he now held in his hands.

“Shit,” a voice said from the doorway and Liam’s head snapped up, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the visage of the best looking man he’d ever seen. “That wasn’t for the party was it?”

Liam opened his mouth and closed it again around a choked off sob as he nodded, feeling completely foolish. He covered his face, remembering a moment too late that his hands were covered with icing and bits of chocolate cake. “Fuck,” he muttered, shoulders slumping in defeat before he allowed himself to fall backwards, starfishing on the floor. “I give up!”

“You’re new to this whole catering thing, aren’t you?” the man asked, and Liam groaned. “‘M Zayn.”

Liam groaned again as he remembered the words that had been written across the cake. “Happy birthday, Zayn. Surprise!” he muttered, waving his hands in the air before letting them fall back to the ground in defeat.

“Who the fuck hired you?”

“Niall,” Liam said, thinking of the blond who had hired him for his first ever catering job to give him a chance.

“Ah. You’re Liam, his childhood mate.” Liam watched Zayn stand above him, holding out a hand to him. Liam waved a cake covered hand, surprised when Zayn just grabbed it and pulled Liam to his feet, so they were suddenly standing nose to nose, hands clasped between them.

“Uh....”

“From the way he spoke of you, I expected…” Zayn trailed off as Liam closed his eyes on a sigh.

“Someone competent?” Liam asked, feeling the tears starting to prickle the corners of his eyes.

“Less messy,” Zayn corrected, as he swiped a finger down Liam’s cheek before sticking it in his mouth. “Yum.” 

Liam fell backwards, feeling the flush warming his cheeks and hoping the cake made it impossible for Zayn to see. He fell to his knees again to clean up the cake, surprised when Zayn joined him. The two worked in silence for a bit before a thought occurred to Liam. “What are you doing here? Niall said you were home visiting family until the party tonight.”

Zayn shrugged. “Came back a bit early. Figured the wanker was up to something. He knows I hate surprises.” Zayn glanced around the kitchen. “Although, I have to say a cake-covered hottie isn’t the worst thing to be surprised with.”

Liam laughed before Zayn’s words completely sank in, then his breath cut off again. “Hottie?” he squeaked. Zayn’s chuckle was warm and Liam didn’t feel like he was being laughed at, but appreciated. “Have you looked in a mirror?” he muttered as he moved to dump the bits of cake he’d managed to gather into a garbage bag.

“Too often, if you ask my ex,” Zayn said, joining Liam at the bag and dumping what he’d gathered. The silence that fell was a bit awkward, but they worked together to finish cleaning up the cake. Liam taking the mop that Zayn tried to use to finish cleaning up the mess.

Once they were done, Liam looked at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got to go get the rest of the food.”

“Do you need help?” Zayn asked.

“No. I’ve got Louis to help,” Liam explained as he walked towards the door.

“I hope that’s not who helped you dump the cake,” Zayn said and Liam hung his head for a moment. “Let me help.”

“It’s your party, mate. Go make yourself scarce or Niall will be furious that you’ve ruined his surprise.” Liam knew his voice sounded pleading and pathetic, but he just couldn’t help himself.

“Yeah, alright,” Zayn said, his voice quieter than it’d been in the half-hour since they’d met. “See you later, I guess.”

“Cheers,” Liam said as he let himself out.

***

Liam let himself back into the flat with the key Niall had given him, glaring over his shoulder at Louis as he struggled with trays of food. “Do not drop those, Louis, or I swear-”

“Got it, Li. I can’t apologize enough for earlier,” Louis said as they made their way to the kitchen. 

Liam suddenly stopped, feeling the Louis bump into him. “What the heck, Liam?”

Liam stared at the counter where a cake, a much smaller cake, but a cake just the same, rested. It was decorated with the Green Lantern symbol and said, “Happy Birthday, Zayn” across the bottom. “Where’d you get another cake so fast?” Louis asked as he came to stand next to Liam.

“I...I didn’t,” Liam said, glancing around the kitchen, noticing several pastry boxes stacked on the counter. Opening them, he discovered cupcakes with green and black icing. “H..how? Who?”

“Me,” a voice said from the doorway. Liam and Louis turned to take in a tall boy with his hair pulled up into a bun. “Zee called and said he had a bakery emergency.”

“These are amazing,” Liam told him. “And so quickly.”

“I work at a bakery. We always have extra cakes and cupcakes lying around. Was just a matter of decorating.” He turned to Louis and offered a hand. “I’m Harry.”

“Louis,” he responded, shaking his hand. “This is-”

“Liam!” Zayn interrupted as he burst into the kitchen. “Did you see?” He grabbed Liam’s arm and dragged him over to the cake.

“I did. You got your own cake?” Liam watched Zayn’s eyes as they traced over the cake before coming up to meet Liam’s.

“Felt bad. Wanted to help,” he explained and Liam just shook his head fondly as a smile spread across his face. Liam could feels his eyes crinkling. “Wow,” Zayn muttered.

“What?”

“That smile made it all worth it,” Zayn said, his teeth sinking into his lower lip. 

“Uh, mate,” Louis spoke up and Zayn and Liam jumped apart. “Where should I put the food?”

After the food was set up and everything was ready for the party, Zayn and Harry excused themselves. “Can’t let Niall know I spoiled the surprise.”

Ten minutes after Zayn had left, Niall showed up, a big smile on his face as he took in the food. “Great job, Payno! I knew you had it in you. Zayn is going to flip when he sees all of this.”

Liam and Louis exchanged a look as they finished preparing the punch.  Niall grabbed a beer and watched them, frowning. “You’re going to, like, work the whole party?”

“Kind of what a caterer does,” Liam told him, smiling.

Liam and Louis were in the kitchen when they noticed the lights in the flat go out and then heard the door open. Everyone yelled, “Surprise!” Zayn’s laughter carried into the room towards them. Louis pinched Liam’s cheek and pushed him towards the living room, but Liam just shook his head and kept rearranging the food table. 

Liam didn’t leave the kitchen except to take the cake and cupcakes out to the living room, not seeing Zayn in the mass of people that were spread throughout the flat. He refused to admit that he was disappointed as he headed back into the kitchen. He and Louis started cleaning up the kitchen around midnight, leaving out a couple of trays of snacks and the rest of the cut cake and cupcakes. 

Liam was slipping his coat on when he felt a hand on his arm. Turning, he found Zayn standing in front of him with a cupcake in his hand, a single lit candle standing in it. “You didn’t sing me happy birthday.” Liam shook his head, but gave in to the adorable pout the lad gave him.

Liam sang lowly, feeling awkward, but smiling at Zayn nonetheless. When he was done singing, Liam watched him close his eyes and purse his lips to blow out the candle. Zayn smiled wide when he reopened his eyes. “Thanks,” Zayn told him.

“You’re welcome,” Liam said, making to move around Zayn.

“Don’t you want to know what I wished for?” Zayn asked.

“If you tell me, it won’t come true,” Liam told him, smiling. Before he could think better of it, Liam leaned in to press a kiss to Zayn’s cheek. “Happy birthday.”

Zayn’s hand covered the spot Liam had kissed. “Guess wishes do come true.”

Liam gaped at Zayn for a moment before Zayn fisted his shirt and pulled him into a real kiss. “Yeah, but whose wish?” Liam asked when they broke apart.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come say "hi" to me on [tumblr](http://josjournal.tumblr.com) or [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/JolynnMG). I love meeting new people! :D


End file.
